I'm at Rohan's...I worried him pretty badly, I think, so I've been staying here where he can keep an eye on me. We can walk back to your apartment, though, if you want. You just have to come pick me up.
[A little awkward, that.]
And, um. Hold my hand...you know, on the way back.
[He wishes he could have been, but Reimi has people who adore her as much as he does, so at least he knows she was in good hands. There's no doubt in his mind that Rohan took care of her.]
[A minute later, the door creaks open; Reimi's standing there, half-hidden behind it, and while the set of her stance makes it apparent that she's been through a wringer lately, she doesn't look shaky or weak, which is certainly an improvement. Her clothes are all comfortable instead of trendy — butter-soft jeans, her pink winged boots, a too-big sweatshirt that she probably borrowed from someone. And, when she sees him, she shoves the door open the rest of the way and launches herself at him without hesitation, going instantly for a desperately tight hug.]
[As soon as she launches herself at him, Abbacchio is more than ready to catch her, his arms wrapping around Reimi and squeezing her tight. Appearing behind her is Moody Blues, doing the same by embracing her, rubbing his cheek against her shoulder.]
[He really must be back to normal, she muses, if Moody Blues is able to manifest. And she's so, so glad to see him again, too, letting herself become the jelly in an Abbacchio-and-his-Stand sandwich for a little while before blindly reaching back with one hand to moosh the squishy parts of Moody Blues's neck flaps.]
You have to tell me everything. Everything I missed, everything that happened! I want to hear all of it, okay...?
It's not like I don't know. I had to play that game, too. And I went to the cemetery, the one they call the Solemn Grounds.
[She made sure to leave a note for Rohan as soon as she knew that Abbacchio was on his way over, so hopefully that will alleviate some of the inevitable panic. It's awfully nice, though, to have Abbacchio on one side and Moody Blues on the other, and her hands caught up between both of them.]
That's why I'm so...why it got so bad. There was something about that spring, it was like I couldn't stay away from it.
...I know about the spring. I saw some people there. I'm sure you did too.
[Gently, he squeezes Reimi's hand while Moody Blues huddles close to her, affectionate as he can be.]
I saw Bruno and Florentino. And the guy who killed me. I know it wasn't them, but it still fucked me up. After that, I didn't want anything to do with the app game. That's what made me into... fuck, I don't know, like a ghost.
Yeah...I saw my parents. I thought I did, anyway. Maybe it wasn't...it's been so long, maybe I forgot. But it felt like it was them.
[It's hard to know which way she wants to lean, into Abbacchio or against Moody Blues, and ultimately she decides to just try to her best to do both at once, as best she can.]
You were a ghost. Believe me, I'm kind of an expert on it.
Don't be sorry. It's better that they weren't. [She sighs, ducking her chin.] They never came over to me. Never looked, never seemed to notice me. It would've been so much worse, if it was really them, and they didn't even notice me.
[But luckily, even next to that dismal thought, she manages to find a hint of a smile and a quirked eyebrow for his trouble.]
He helped you, huh. Does that mean helped you, or helped you?
[She sticks her tongue out at him, flushing just a touch pink herself. Some of her usual sass is missing, whether from the latent exhaustion or something else, but the inclination to tease is still there as present as ever.]
Me just holding your hand wasn't enough. So he must've done something better than that.
[She might've thought once, for just a sliver of a moment, that she could've believed it was an accident, a genuine slip. She knows better than to think that now, though. Now she can see more clearly exactly what he did and why.]
That wasn't just a mistake. You didn't want to risk it for me. Right?
[She hesitates, because what she wants to say is on the tip of her tongue, and it's also a lie. A strong lie, a noble lie, a courageous lie, and still at the end of the day, a lie.
Abbacchio deserves someone strong and noble and courageous. He doesn't deserve a liar.]
...I was. I would have.
[Telling a rueful truth doesn't feel particularly strong or noble. But it is courageous, she thinks, and maybe that's enough.]
I was so scared. I just thought if I didn't, you might never get back. I didn't think about...how that might have felt for you. To have to watch that.
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[The answer is completely irrelevant. It'll be Abbacchio or not from the sheer disgust; not even an imposter could fake that.]
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[Such raw, genuine warmth. It's muted, but she's delighted.]
Sorry. It's just...with everything else that's happened lately, I didn't want...
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I wanted to swing by and check on you, if you're cool with that?
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[A little awkward, that.]
And, um. Hold my hand...you know, on the way back.
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[He wishes he could have been, but Reimi has people who adore her as much as he does, so at least he knows she was in good hands. There's no doubt in his mind that Rohan took care of her.]
I'm on my way, okay?
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[Lost, in a number of different senses of the word. Most of them are applicable.]
Oh, I'll send the address. Here.
[Bing!]
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On my way.
[And he makes true to his word, eventually arriving, messaging her with a quick I'm here as he waits outside for her.]
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You're okay!
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And you're looking a little better.
[He smiles at her.] We both missed you.
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You have to tell me everything. Everything I missed, everything that happened! I want to hear all of it, okay...?
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Moody Blues, c'mon, we have to--
[Eagerly, Moody Blues is snatching Reimi's hand.]
Ugh, fine, I guess that counts?! [Abbacchio takes Reimi's other hand.]
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[She made sure to leave a note for Rohan as soon as she knew that Abbacchio was on his way over, so hopefully that will alleviate some of the inevitable panic. It's awfully nice, though, to have Abbacchio on one side and Moody Blues on the other, and her hands caught up between both of them.]
That's why I'm so...why it got so bad. There was something about that spring, it was like I couldn't stay away from it.
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[Gently, he squeezes Reimi's hand while Moody Blues huddles close to her, affectionate as he can be.]
I saw Bruno and Florentino. And the guy who killed me. I know it wasn't them, but it still fucked me up. After that, I didn't want anything to do with the app game. That's what made me into... fuck, I don't know, like a ghost.
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[It's hard to know which way she wants to lean, into Abbacchio or against Moody Blues, and ultimately she decides to just try to her best to do both at once, as best she can.]
You were a ghost. Believe me, I'm kind of an expert on it.
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[He continues to take lead, while Moody Blues stays mostly at Reimi's side. But they're both as close as possible.]
Yeah. I trust you on that.
Mohammed was, uh. Able to help me.
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[But luckily, even next to that dismal thought, she manages to find a hint of a smile and a quirked eyebrow for his trouble.]
He helped you, huh. Does that mean helped you, or helped you?
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[Oh yeah. He's beet red. He's never embarrassed about sex, but this is definitely different.]
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[She sticks her tongue out at him, flushing just a touch pink herself. Some of her usual sass is missing, whether from the latent exhaustion or something else, but the inclination to tease is still there as present as ever.]
Me just holding your hand wasn't enough. So he must've done something better than that.
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[But he's glad she has some of her personality there. Even if it's faded and she's tired, it's still there.]
Yeah. We kissed. And stuff.
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[It rolls off his tongue so easily, you brat, that it almost sounds like an endearment. All things considered, it probably is one.]
We're even, then. I'm glad he took good care of you.
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[Abbacchio's voice is a bit softer. Honestly, he's grateful for Avdol. He's definitely more than what Abbacchio deserves.]
I wanted to do more for you too.
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[She might've thought once, for just a sliver of a moment, that she could've believed it was an accident, a genuine slip. She knows better than to think that now, though. Now she can see more clearly exactly what he did and why.]
That wasn't just a mistake. You didn't want to risk it for me. Right?
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[Abbacchio stops, if only so that he can put his arm around her and hold her again.]
You'd have pushed it hard enough beyond what you should have.
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Abbacchio deserves someone strong and noble and courageous. He doesn't deserve a liar.]
...I was. I would have.
[Telling a rueful truth doesn't feel particularly strong or noble. But it is courageous, she thinks, and maybe that's enough.]
I was so scared. I just thought if I didn't, you might never get back. I didn't think about...how that might have felt for you. To have to watch that.
[Someone dying for him, again.]
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